Cableway scraper excavator



Nov. 4, 1969 E. KALVE 3,475,839

CABLEWAY SCRAPER EXCAVATOR Original Fiied Sept. 15-. 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 z=z z INVENTOR.

v fxwA/Esr 16441/6 y A TORNEYS CABLEWAY SCRAPER EXCAVATOR OriginalFiled Sept. 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EAzA/csr 1644 r5 BY AT RNEYS United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cableway scraper tower has an upright cable mast, and has an operators cabin in its lower end and tripod legs two of which diverge forwardly and have groundengaging lower end pads and one of which extends downwardly and rearwardly and has its lower end pivotally attached to a mobilizing unit with means for pivoting the mast about the rear leg mounting pivot and counter-balancing weight related to the lower part of the rear leg whereby the center of gravity of the tower is over the rear leg and near a Vertical line through the pivot to resist cable-imposed turnover forces acting toward the front legs and facilitating the pivoting of the tower and raising of the front legs.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 487,473, filed Sept. 15, 1965, now abandoned.

This invention relates to improvements in cableway scraper excavators and more particularly relates to a new head tower construction for such excavators.

In use, the head towers of cableway scraper excavators are subject to large over-turning moment due to the height of the tower and the pulling forces exerted by not only dead load of various cables, scraper buckets, and the like, but more importantly as a result of the pulling forces that must be exerted in the operation of the drag scraper shell or bucket.

Prior head tower arrangements have often been inefficient due to poorly distributed load factors, requiring excessive subframe, crawlers, truckers, skid frames and the like, massive counterweighting, etc. The total weight of such machines has reduced their mobility and maneuverability. Additionally, prior structures have generally consisted of excessive number of components which makes assembly and dismantling of the structure quite time-consuming and often impractical, and complicates knockdown shipping of the disassembled structure.

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a new and improved head tower construction of novel efficient and simplified configuration and efiicient weight distribution and resistance to overturning moments in service.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved cableway scraper excavator tower construction in which the center of gravity is especially efficiently located to resist overturning moment and reducing or even eliminating the need for counterweighting.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved head tower construction of novel configuration and which is adapted for prefabrication for efficient packing, transportation and erection.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved head tower construction which because of its elficient structural relationships enables lower weight and less bulky configurations of parts to perform with increased efficiency as compared with prior constructions and attains improved movability and maneuverability.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a new and improved tower structure for cableway scraper excavator systems which is especially suitable for the headice end structure or tower but is also adaptable for the tailend structure or tower.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of certain embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic side elevational view of a head-end or head tower construction embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top plan view taken substantially on line IIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the head tower structure of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, generally schematic side elegational view of a modification of the tower structure; an

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, schematic side elevational view of a further modification.

On reference to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, a head end structure or tower 10, according to the present invention, comprises a mast 11 which in service position extends preferably vertically upwardly from an elevated control cabin housing 12 within which the person operating the excavator is housed and has clear vision through windows 13 in preferably three sides of the four-sided structure, the remaining side having an access door which may also have a window therein. From the top of the frame defining the control cabin 12, and which provides the base for the mast 11, the mast tapers upwardly to a substantially smaller cross section crown tip upper end portion which is as reasonably small as consistent with the load stresses it must withstand as imposed through a track cable sheave 14 carried thereby and over which is trained a track cable 15.

Stable support of the mast 11, efficiently resisting overturning, is afforded by novel tripod leg structure comprising two forwardly oblique legs 17 extending in balanced splayed relation from the lower front side of the mast base housing 12 and provided on their lower ends with respective thrust pads 18. These legs 17 are desirably constructed to taper in cross sections from maximum width and depth at their upper ends where they are attached to the mast base to a minimum practicable cross section at their lower ends. Completing the tripod is a rear leg 19 centered with respect to the two front legs 17 and extending downwardly and rearwardly in an oblique direction from the lower rear of the mast base structure 12, divergently relative to the front legs, with the upper end portions of all of the legs contiguously disposed in substantially balanced relation under the base structure 12. Although the single rear leg 19 may be of a downwardly tapering structure in side elevation from its upper end toward its lower end, it is desirably of substantially the same width throughout its length when viewed in rear or front elevation, thereby affording lateral stability in conjunction with the splayed front legs 17 which diverge sidewardly to a substantially greater spacing at their lower ends than the width of the rear leg 17.

Means are provided in association with the rear leg 19 for operating the excavating scraper cables and for mobilizing the tower 10. To this end, the rear leg 19 is somewhat shorter than the front legs 17 and has a lower and rearwardly extending machinery supporting platform arm 20 rigidly integral therewith. On this arm are supported a suitable power unit 21 which is operatively connected with a track cable drum 22 and an inhaul cable drum 23. Where desirable, a counterweight 24 may be carried by the distal end portion of the arm 20.

Supporting the lower end of the rear leg 19 and affording mobility for the tower is a suitable vehicle 25 which may be of the endless track tractor type with which the lower end of the rear leg has a hinged or pivotal connection 27. Thereby, the tower can be swung rearwardly from the service position shown in FIGURE 1 to a traveling position wherein the front legs 17 are raised by rearward swinging of the tower on the rear leg 19. Such swinging movements of the tower may conveniently be effected by means of a hydraulic powered cylinder 28 thrusting at its lower end against a forwardly projecting bracket 29 on the carriage of the vehicle 25 and thrusting at its upper end against a bracket 30 rigid with the front or inner sloping side of the rear leg 19 under which the actuator 12 is mounted. It will be understood, of course, that operation of the power cylinder 28 as well as other operating mechanisms of the tower and vehicle are motivated through power derived from the power unit 21 and suitably controlled through controls in the control cabinet 12 and also if desired through auxiliary controls such as may be located on or in association with the machinery platform arm 20.

Anchorage of the track cable 15 at its ends remote from the head tower may be in any suitable manner such as on a tail-end structure or tower which may be generally counterpart of the tower 10 with respect to the mast and tripod leg support and, if desired, mobilizing vehicle to facilitate travel of the tail-end structure with or relative to the head end structure during progression of an excavating operation.

Riding along the track cable through a suitable wheeled carrier 31 is a drag shell or bucket 32 to the rear of which may be attached an outhaul line or cable 33 and to the front of which is attached an inhaul cable 34 by which the drag shell is pulled through the excavation and to a discharge point adjacent to the head tower 10. For efficiency in operation, the inhaul cable 34 runs under a lower sheave 35 mounted on the front of the head tower and preferably on suitable brackets 37 located rigidly on the lower end of the mast 11 and in this instance at the convergence of the front legs 17. Thence the inhaul cable 34 extends upwardly along the front of the mast 11 and runs over an upper sheave 38 located as close as practical to the top of the mast and in this instance adjacently below the track cable sheave 14 and thus as high as possible above the inhaul cable drum 23 to attain improved winding of the inhaul cable upon its drum.

During operation, outward forces exerted by the track cable 15 and the inhaul cable 34 tend to overturn the tower 10 about the lower ends of the front legs 17 and the pads 18. However, such forces are strongly resisted in the tower 10 by reason of its construction placing its center of gravity G low and a maximum practical distance rearwardly relative to the thrust pads 18, as represented by the distance line X. In this instance, the center of gravity G is substantially below the convergences of the tripod supporting legs, substantially centered over the lower portion of the rear leg 19 and over the traction device of the vehicle under the leg forwardly from the pivotal connection 27. Therefore, since according to the physical laws of static the effectiveness of gravity force in resisting overturning is in direct proportion to the distance of the center of gravity from the point of support nearest the direction of overturning force, an extremely efficient relationship in this regard is seen to be present in the tower construction 10.

Further, the far rearward location of the center of gravity G provides an advantageous relationship in mobilizing the tower, in that the center of gravity is located a minimum distance Y from a vertical line through the pivot 27. Thus, minimum power exerted by the hydraulic actuator 28 enables it to tilt the tower 10 into its rearward traveling position wherein the center of gravity will be directly over the pivot 27. In this traveling position the tower is suitably locked to the vehicle 25, as, for example, through the hydraulic actuator 28. By virtue of the relatively short distance Y of movement into the traveling position, an operator sitting in the cabin provided by the housing 12 may remain therein while controlling movements of the tower structure between the service position and the traveling position and while the tower is activated through the vehicle 25 to move to a new location.

In FIGURE 4 a tower construction 10' is depicted which is substantially the same as the tower structure of FIGURE 1, and primed reference numerals refer to the same parts and even though not further described at this point will be understood to incorporate the same description as the corresponding parts in FIGURE 1. The principal difference in this modification resides in that a rubber-tired vehicle 40 provides the mobilizing means. In this instance the rear leg 19 is connected through the pivotal connection 27 with a machinery mounting platform 41 on which is mounted a cabin enclosure 42. The platform 41 which mounts the power unit and cable drums is rotatably mounted on a turntable 43, the axis 44 of which is over the rear Wheels of the vehicle whereby the connecting pivot 27' is over such wheels and affording stable support for the rear leg 19' in the service position of the tower and effectively supporting the tower when it is moved by the hydraulic cylinder unit 28' into traveling position With the leg 17' raised and the mast 11 tilted toward the center of gravity.

In the modification of FIGURE 5 a tower structure 10 is depicted which in respect to the mast and tripod leg structure and the relationship of the track and inhaul cables thereto is substantially the same as the tower 10 of FIGURE 1 and double primed reference numerals relate to the same elements and the description thereof as given in respect to FIGURE 1. In this modification, however, a different mobilizing vehicle 50 is provided comprising a crane type mobilizing vehicle unit having an endless track tractor carriage 51 mounting a cabin body housing 52 on a turntable 53 with the rear leg 19" of the tower having pivotal connection 27" with the front lower portion of the cabin 52. Within the cabin 52 are housed the power unit and the cable drums, as well as operating controls supplemental or auxiliary to those in the operators cabin 12". In this instance, pivoting of the tower about the pivot 27" to lift the front legs 17 and tilt the tower into traveling position is effected by means of cables 54 leading from the cabin 52 to the mast 11". In this form, similarly as in the other forms of the invention described, the center of gravity is low and in the service position over the rear leg 19" and near the supporting tractor. In the traveling position of the tower the center of gravity is efficiently over the tractor.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A cableway scraper excavator assembly comprismg:

a tower having an upright cable mast,

tripod legs supportingly attached to and relatively divergently extending to a substantially spread-apart relation downwardly and outwardly from the lower end of the mast and comprising two front legs and a rear leg centered rearwardly from the front legs, projecting rearwardly therefrom,

an arm riged with the lower end of said rear leg and projecting rearwardly therefrom,

weighting means carried by said arm,

a mobilizing vehicle underlying said arm and the lower end of the rear leg, and

means pivotally attaching the lower end of the rear leg to said vehicle adjacent juncture of said arm enabling rocking of the tower into traveling position with the front legs raised.

2. A cableway scraper excavator assembly comprising:

a tower having an upright cable mast,

tripod legs supportingly attached to and relatively divergently extending to a substantially spread-apart relation downwardly and outwardly from the lower end of the mast and comprising two front legs and a rear leg centered rearwardly from the front legs,

an arm rigid with the lower end of said rear leg and projecting rearwardly therefrom,

weighting means carried by said arm,

a mobilizing vehicle underlying said arm and the lower end of the rear leg,

means pivotally attaching the lower end of the rear leg to said vehicle adjacent juncture of said arm enabling rocking of the tower into traveling position with the front legs raised, and

powered means attached to and extending between said vehicle and the front side of said rear leg for pivotally moving the tower relative to the vehicle between service and traveling positions.

3. A cableway scraper excavator assembly comprismg:

a tower having an upright cable mast;

tripod legs supportin-gly attached to and relatively divergently extending to a substantial spread-apart relation downwardly and outwardly from the lower end of said mast and comprising two splayed front legs having ground engaging lower ends and a rear leg centered rearwardly from the front legs;

a ground-running mobilizing mount;

means pivotally attaching the lower end of said rear leg on a horizontal axis to said mount;

weighting means operatively connected to the lower end of the rear leg and located substantially rearwardly relative to said pivot and placing the center of gravity of the tower over said rear leg substantially below the lower end of said mast and adjacently forward of a vertical line through said pivot; and

means for pivoting the mast about said pivot.

4. A cableway scraper excavator assembly according to claim 3 wherein said ground-running mobilizing mount and said weighting means comprises a crane-type mobilizing unit.

5. A cableway scraper excavator assembly according to claim 3 wherein said ground-running mobilizing mount and said weighting means comprises a tire supported vehicle.

6. A cableway scraper excavator assembly that is light in weight and need not be guyed due to its construction and low center of gravity comprising:

an unguyed upper mast portion extending substantially vertically and of substantial height;

a pair of outwardly and downwardly extending splayed front ground engaging legs attached to the lower portion of said mast portion;

a single rearwardly and downwardly extending leg projecting on a plane midway between said front legs in a generally tripod relationship and attached to the lower portion of said mast portion, and

machinery for counterbalancing and actuating said scraper excavator attached to the lower portion of said rearwardly and downwardly extending leg so that said assembly is relatively light and need not be guyed and wherein the center of gravity is located substantially rearwardly relative to said mast and over the rear leg substantially below the lower portion of said mast and adjacently forward of a vertical plane through said machinery.

7. A cableway scraper excavator assembly according to claim 6, wherein an operators cabin is mounted in the upper mast portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,362,275 12/1920 Heuvel 37-l 17 1,743,123 1/1930 Elwood 37-117 1,903,399 4/1933 Wait 37-117 2,734,641 2/1956 Burton 212144 X 3,078,072 2/1963 Golden 521 16 X FOREIGN PATENTS 276,437 10/ 1964 Netherlands. 159,962 2/1964 U.S.S.R.

ROBERT E. BAGWILL, Primary Examiner S. C. PELLEGRINO, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 212144;52116 

